Modifications to the first 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform for Australia’s Project Wedgetail are moving ahead on schedule.

With great fanfare, and the Australian Minister of Defence looking on, the green 737-700 was rolled out of the Boeing factory in Renton, Wash. last October. Around the first of the year, it was flown to Delaware where an auxiliary fuel system and four tanks were installed and FAA certified. Those tanks were later removed and will be stored until flight testing of the aircraft is completed in 2004.

The plane was flown back to Puget Sound at the end of March for major structural modifications where the transformation to an AEW&C platform is underway inside a huge hangar at Boeing Field in Seattle.

“The work has gone extremely well”, said Patrick Gill, Boeing vice president of 737 AEW&C programs.

“With our digital design, the parts go together the right way, the first time around,” Gill said. “For example, pilot holes drilled from two different manufacturers in two different locations fit perfectly.”

“Not only are we on schedule and within our target man-hours, but the quality of the design, parts fabrication and the installation work is excellent.”

It’s no accident that Puget Sound is handling the modification job. Boeing looked at all locations throughout the U.S. — balancing risk, shipside engineering support, customer involvement, cost and schedule – and Puget Sound came out on top, said Rich Lukezic, Boeing senior manager for aircraft modification on the 737 AEW&C program.

“First off, this is the home of the 737. The workforce is available, knowledgeable and experienced,” he said.

Puget Sound workers have experience building the 767 AWACS planes, which are similar to the 737 AEW&C program and can build on lessons learned from that program.

“When you’re talking about a developmental program of a limited quantity, there is a real advantage to keeping manufacturing resources close to engineering and working as one team. Here we can keep a short line of communication so changes to the plan have a minimal impact,” Lukezic said.

The program is committed to utilizing new processes and approaches and to maximize the use of the digital design model straight to the shop floor.

“We made sure we’re giving the mechanics the same tools the engineers are using,” he said.

While modifications are underway, design reviews have been completed on radar /identification friend or foe, mission computing, mission navigation and communications subsystems and the airborne mission system. Additionally, BAE SYSTEMS Australia, under subcontract to Boeing, has completed four major design reviews covering electronic warfare self-protection and electronic support measures along with the mission support segment and operational mission simulator. These reviews have been completed on schedule and on budget.

Software development for the Wedgetail program also is progressing. Using a strategy of building each new functionality incrementally and integrating and testing along the way, Boeing is validating the architecture and performance – catching and fixing problems early while mitigating key risk areas. The first production software build was completed last spring with the next build scheduled to be completed in the fall.

Gill says working together is key to the Wedgetail program successfully pushing forward.

“We have outstanding teamwork among our customer, suppliers and Boeing and between engineering and operations,” he said. “You can feel the enthusiasm, excitement, commitment and shared values from people working on Wedgetail. There’s a real sense of accomplishment.”

The Australian Defence Force selected the 737 AEW&C system in July 1999. A contract was signed in December 2000 for four AEW&C systems plus options for three additional systems. The first two 737 AEW&C aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to Australia in 2006.

In November 2000, the Republic of Turkey selected a Boeing-led team to begin contract negotiations on developing a new AEW&C system. A contract was signed in June 2002 and officially started in July 2003. The acquisition includes four 737 AEW&C aircraft plus ground support segments for mission crew training, mission support and system maintenance support. Delivery of Turkey's first 737 AEW&C system is scheduled for 2007.